Cooling water inlet and method of fabricating a cooling water inlet member

ABSTRACT

A cooling water intake (1) is constructed as an integral body from a composite material, having a duct (2) running from a first opening (3), adapted to face toward the sea, and to a second opening (4), where the cooling water intake may be connected to the cooling water system of a motor. The duct (2) is curved inward and toward the stern, and the duct cross section is flattened near the first opening, which faces to the sea. Toward the second opening (4) the cross section of the duct progresses into a conventional circular cross section. The invention also relates to a method for fabricating a cooling water intake body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cooling water intake for use aboard a boat,comprising a first opening to the sea in the boat hull, a duct for waterfrom the opening, and a second opening at the mouth of the duct, whichsecond opening is adapted for connection to the cooling water system ofa motor.

The invention also relates to a method for fabricating a cooling waterintake body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Cooling water intake aboard relatively small boats, i.e., vessels in thesize range of leisure boats, have a simple cooling water intake thatincludes an opening in the boat hull and a duct for water from thisopening and to a second opening, which is attached to the motor'scooling water System. The opening in the boat hull is oriented at aright angle to the hull side or bottom, and is frequently surrounded byan exterior end flange abutting with the outside of the hull skin.Observations often indicate that the inflow of cooling water to themotor is insufficient, particularly at greater speeds. The possiblereason(s) for this have not been thoroughly investigated in connectionwith the invention, but instead an attempt has been made to develop acooling water intake that provides an improved, stable and reliablesupply of cooling water to the boat motors, even at maximum speeds (45knots and thereaboats for leisure/pleasure boats and the like). Inaddition, it is also an object of the invention to provide a coolingwater intake that may easily be adapted to various types and sizes ofhulls.

It is also an objective of the invention to enable the prefabrication ofa suitable cooling water intake, thereby to provide a unit that may beinserted into the boat hull of new structures as well as existing boats.

Still another objective of the invention is to disclose a method forfabrication of a cooling water intake in situ.

According to the invention, therefore, we propose a cooling water intakeas described above, characterized in that the duct running from saidfirst opening is curved inward and toward the stern.

Such a duct configuration will ensure a sufficient, stable supply ofcooling water even under the highest prevailing speeds for boats of thetype in question here.

It has proven particularly convenient for the cooling water intake to beformed as an integral body, thus providing an insertable member whichmay easily be mounted and adapted.

It is especially advantageous for this integral body to be constructedof a suitable composite material. An advantage attained thereby is thatthe area surrounding said first opening, i.e., the opening out to thesea, may thus be more easily adapted to the exterior hull surface,permitting attainment of a smooth area in this region, withoutcumbersome projections.

In some cases it may be appropriate to improve further the supply ofcooling water by providing in the first opening a lip projecting beyondthe side of the boat, which lip has the effect of directing the coolingwater into the opening. The remaining area around the first opening orintake opening may advantageously be smooth and uniformly integratedinto the outer surface of the boat hull, as mentioned above.

According to the invention, it has proven particularly expedient to havethe interior confines of the duct, seen in longitudinal sectionperpendicular to the side or bottom of the boat, substantially andgradually rounded off from the first opening and inward into the duct.

It has also proven particularly advantageous for the configuration ofthe duct cross-section to be flattened near the first opening andprogress into a conventional circular cross-section toward the secondopening.

After the curve in the duct, as mentioned above, the duct may beoriented in a direction convenient for connection to the motor and/orfor the mounting of a stop valve.

The invention may advantageously be realized by utilizing a methodwherein the cooling water intake is fabricated in situ. According to theinvention, therefore, we propose a method for fabrication of a coolingwater intake body aboard a boat, wherein the intake comprises a firstopening in the boat hull facing toward the sea, a duct for water fromthe opening, and a second opening at the mouth of the duct, which secondopening is adapted for connection to the cooling system of a motor, saidmethod being characterized in that a hole is made in the boat hull, thata core member corresponding to the duct is provided, that said coremember is positioned in said hole in the boat hull against a formworkelement covering the hole on the outside of the boat hull, and that thecooling water intake body is built up around the core member while beingsimultaneously fixed in the hole in the boat hull.

The core member may advantageously be connected with a prefabricatedpipe sleeve, or take-off piece, prior to building up the cooling waterintake body, which sleeve is integrated into the cooling water intakebody and serves as a connection to the motor's cooling water system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained further with reference to the drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a section through a cooling water intake according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the cooling water intake in FIG. 1 alongthe indicated sectional line A--A,

FIG. 3 shows a section along sectional line B--B in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 shows a section taken from the area surrounding the first openingin the cooling water intake,

FIG. 5 shows a further modified embodiment of the area around the firstopening in the cooling water intake,

FIG. 6 shows a second cooling water intake according to the invention,viewed from the seaward side,

FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section of the embodiment in FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 illustrates the fabrication in situ of a cooling water intake.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The cooling water intake shown in FIG. 1 is constructed as an integralbody 1 from a suitable composite material. Body 1 has a duct 2 runningfrom a first opening 3 to a second opening 4. Around said first opening3, which is the cooling water intake's opening to the sea, is provided aflange-like expansion 5, and a corresponding coupling flange 6 isprovided around the second opening 4.

Cooling water intake 1 is inserted into an opening 7 in a boat hull skin8 with the aid of flange 5 and is fixed thereto by suitable means: itmay, for example, be glued in place or fastened with screws, or both.Flange 6 is adapted for flange coupling with the motor's cooling watersystem, not shown.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the cross-sections of the duct according to sectionallines A--A and B--B, respectively, are shown. As is apparent therefrom,the duct cross-section has a flattened configuration in the area nearthe first opening 3, while the duct cross-section at the second opening4 has the circular shape shown in FIG. 2.

In the section through the cooling water intake shown in FIG. 1--alongitudinal section perpendicular to the side or bottom 8 of theboat--the interior confines 9 of the duct are substantially andgradually rounded off from the first opening 3 and inward into duct 2.

In FIG. 1 the cooling water intake 1 is flush with the exterior side ofhull skin 8. The sharp edged transition at 10 in FIG. 1 is depicted in amore rounded-off form by 10' in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 indicates how, in the longitudinal section perpendicular to theboat side/bottom, there may be provided in the first opening a lip 11projecting beyond the side of the boat.

The cooling water intake in FIG. I has, as shown, a duct 2 that iscurved inward and toward the stern. The vessel's normal direction oftravel is indicated by arrow F in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.

The cooling water intake shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 differs from that shownin FIG. 1 only in that it is designed with an inverted flange 12 tofacilitate the mounting of the intake in a somewhat thicker boat hullskin 13, as shown here, and is constructed, for example, as a compositeof fiber-reinforced plastic and plywood. In addition, flange 6 isreplaced by an externally threaded section 14.

FIG. 8 shows how the cooling water intake according to the invention maybe constructed in situ. A hole 16 is made in boat hull 15. The hole iscovered with a formwork element 17. A core member 18, designed inconformity with the desired shape of the duct, is positioned on formworkelement 17. Onto said core member is placed a pipe sleeve 19, ortake-off piece, provided with flange 20. Around the core member isconstructed a body 21, indicated by dotted lines. The material that isused may be, for example, fiber-reinforced plastic of the same type asthat used in boat hull 15. The pipe sleeve 19 is integrated into thebody, which is in turn integrated into the boat hull. After building upthe body, the core member is removed.

I claim:
 1. A cooling water intake for use aboard a boat, comprising:afirst opening to sea in a boat hull; a duct for water from the firstopening, wherein interior confines of said duct, in a longitudinalsection perpendicular to a boat side/bottom, are substantially andgradually rounded off from the first opening and inward into the duct,such that the cooling water intake is flush with an exterior side of theboat hull; a second opening at a mouth of the duct, the second openingbeing adapted for connection to a cooling system of a motor of the boat,said duct being curved inward and toward a stern of the boat from saidfirst opening; and wherein a cross-section of the duct proximate thefirst opening has a flattened, oval configuration and toward the secondopening progresses into a circular cross-section.
 2. A cooling waterintake according to claim 1, wherein an integral body of the coolingwater intake is constructed from a composite material.
 3. A coolingwater intake according to claim 1, wherein exterior confines of theduct, in a longitudinal section perpendicular to the boat side/bottom,form a streamlined lip projecting beyond the side of the boat hull inthe first opening therein.
 4. A method for fabrication of a coolingwater intake body aboard a boat, comprising the steps of:providing thecooling water intake body which comprises:a first opening in a boat hullfacing toward sea; a duct for water from the first opening, interiorconfines of said duct are substantially and gradually rounded off fromthe first opening and inward into the duct, such that the cooling waterintake body is flush with an exterior side of the boat hull; a secondopening at a mouth of the duct; and wherein a cross-section of the ductproximate the first opening has a flattened, oval configuration andtoward the second opening progresses into a circular cross-section;connecting the second opening to a cooling system of a motor of theboat; providing a hole in the boat hull; providing a core membercorresponding to the duct; positioning said core member in said hole inthe boat hull against a formwork element covering the hole on outside ofthe boat hull; and building up the cooling water intake body around thecore member while simultaneously being fixed in the hole in the boathull.
 5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step ofjoining the core member to a prefabricated pipe sleeve, or take-offpiece, prior to building up the cooling water intake body, wherein thepipe sleeve is integrated into the cooling water intake body.